One of the major difficulties for the understanding of research in family businesses is the lack of consensus on a definition for stricto senso, with current ones based on different perspectives and criteria. From this observation, this article aims to discuss concepts and definitions, beginning with an analysis of scientific production on the subject, covering all articles published in the events of Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (Anpad) - EnAnpad, Eneo, 3Es and EnGPR - and in journals RAC, SAR, Rausp and O&S from 1961 to 2009, according to the availability in their sites, as well as surveys in the FGV's libraries. Among the results, it is clear that with each definition that comes up, new projects present gaps and biases that, still, are shown as insufficient to arrive at least at consensus, and that generally, their validity is limited to a certain reality. As in the case of North American research, Brazilian ones tend to take longer to achieve the process of maturation and consolidation of a definition that is a consensus among experts. Since it's an area of recent studies, it is possible to understand it, however, it is still very difficult to conceptualize these organizations.
company business; concept; scientific production; research; management
